Math 167 Ch 13 Review 1 (c) Janice Epstein CHAPTER 13 – FAIR DIVISION
A fair division procedure is equitable if each player believes he or she
received the same fractional part of the total value.
A fair division procedure is envy-free if each player has a strategy that can
guarantee him or her a share of whatever is being divided that is, in the
eyes of that player, at least as large as that received by any other player, no
matter what the other players do.
A fair division procedure is said to be Pareto-optimal if it produces an
allocation of the property that no other allocation can make one player
better off without making some other player worse off.
Adjusted Winner Procedure:
Step 1. Each party distributes 100 points over the items in a way that
reflects their relative worth to that party.
Step 2. Each item is initially given to the party that assigns it more
points. If there is a tie, the item is not assigned.
Step 3. Each party totals up the number of points it has received and the
party that has received the fewest number of points is now given the
item that that had a tie.
Step 4. If the number of points each party has is tied, the procedure is
complete. If one party has more points, it is named party A and the
party with fewer points in named party B.
Step 5. Items are now transferred from party A to party B until the point
totals are equal. Fractional transfers are allowed. Transfers are
determined using point ratios. Transfer item with lowest ratio.
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 2 (c) Janice Epstein To determine an item’s point ratio, find the fraction
A's point value of the item
B's point value of the item
This procedure is well suited to dividing several items between two people
or parties.
Example 1
Rand and Mat will split 4 items using the adjusted winner procedure with
the point values listed below. How are the items distributed?
Item
Gold coin
Saddle Bag
Cape
Hat
Rand
25
25
25
25
Mat
5
20
35
40
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 3 (c) Janice Epstein Example 2
Katniss and Peeta will split 5 items using the adjusted winner procedure
using the point values listed below. How are the items distributed?
Item
Bow and Arrows
Water bottle
Knife
Food
Blanket
Katniss
50
20
15
5
10
Peeta
0
20
35
40
5
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 4 (c) Janice Epstein Example 3
Ozma and Dorothy will split some jewelry using the adjusted winner
procedure using the point values listed below. How are the items
distributed?
Item
Gold Crown
Silver Crown
Diamond Bracelet
Sapphire Bracelet
Emerald Bracelet
Ruby Bracelet
Gold Earrings
Ozma
10
10
15
11
20
22
12
Dorothy
5
20
20
14
30
8
3
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 5 (c) Janice Epstein The Knaster Inheritance Procedure
Step 1. The heirs – independently and simultaneously – submit
monetary bids for the object.
Step 2. The high bidder is awarded the object and he or she places all
but 1/n of his or her bid in a kitty.
Step 3. Each of the other heirs withdraws from the kitty 1/n of his or her
bid.
Step 4. The remaining money in the kitty is divided equally
This procedure is well suited to dividing a few items between two people
or more people.
Example 4
Janice, Cindy and Teri receive a coat. To decide who gets the coat they
use the Knaster Inheritance Procedure. Janice bids $90, Cindy bids $75
and Teri bids $60. What are the results of the division?
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 6 (c) Janice Epstein Example 5
John, Paul, George, and Ringo receive a piano and a drum set . To decide
who gets these items they use the Knaster Inheritance Procedure.
John bids $800 on the piano and $500 on the drums,
Paul bids $720 on the piano and $440 on the drums,
George bids $600 on the piano and $620 on the drums.
Ringo bids $400 on the piano and $400 on the drums.
What are the results of the division?
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 7 (c) Janice Epstein Divide and Choose Procedures
When an item is to be divided between two players, one player will divide
the item into two pieces that in the dividers opinion are of equal value.
We will divide a “cake” by making a single vertical cut in the cake to
create two pieces.
The chooser will pick the left or right piece to get, in the chooser’s
opinion, at least half of the cake.
Example 7
Robert and Bob will divide a cake using divide and choose.
(a) With Robert dividing, which side will Bob choose?
Robert’s view
Bob’s view
(a) With Bob dividing, which side will Robert choose?
Robert’s view
Bob’s view
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 8 (c) Janice Epstein A cake-division procedure for n players is a procedure that the players can
use to allocate a cake among them so that each player has a strategy that
will guarantee that player a piece with which he or she is “satisfied.”
A cake-division procedure for n player is called proportional if each
player’s strategy guarantees that player a piece that is worth at least 1/n of
the whole, in that player’s estimation.
The Steinhaus Proportional Procedure (Lone Divider) for Three Players
Step 1. The players (A, B, and C) let player A be the divider.
Step 2. Player A divides the cake into three equal pieces, i, ii, and iii
Step 3. If players B and C each like different pieces, they get those
pieces and A gets the remaining piece.
Step 4. If players B and C both want the same piece, they give a not
wanted piece to player A. The remaining two pieces are combined
and then B divides and C chooses.
Example 8
William, Bill and Jane will divide a cake using the Steinhaus proportional
procedure. The divider will be Bill and William and Jane will choose.
How will the cake be divided if the view of each person is as shown
below?
William’s view
Bill’s view
Jane’s view
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 9 (c) Janice Epstein SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER 13
Suppose that Shayna and Caylie view a cake as shown below. They agree
to divide the cake using the divide-and-choose procedure.
Shayna
Caylie
1. If Shayna divides the cake, where will the cut be made?
A) 3 columns from the left
B) 2 ½ columns from the left
C) 2 columns from the left
D) 1 ½ columns from the left
2. If Shayna divides the cake, which side will Caylie choose?
A) The right side
B) The left side
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 10 (c) Janice Epstein 5. Match the terms with the correct definition:
(a) Equitable ___________
(b) Pareto-optimal _________
(i) A fair-division procedure that produces an allocation such that no other
allocation can make one person better off without making another person
worse off.
(ii) A fair-division procedure that can guarantee that each person has a
share of whatever is being divided that is, in the eyes of that player, at
least as large as that received by any other player.
(iii) A fair-division procedure that results in a division that each person
believes he or she received the same fractional part of the total value as the
other people.
(iv) A fair-division process where people take turns choosing items.
(v) A fair-division process where one person divides and the other person
chooses.
Math 167 Ch 13 Review 11 (c) Janice Epstein 6. Lucy and Sandy must make a fair division of a printer, a microwave
and a lamp. They place point values on the objects as shown below.
Using the adjusted winner procedure, what do Lucy and Sandy receive?
Object
Printer
Microwave
Lamp
Lucy’s points Sandy's points
40
30
10
50
50
20
7. Nancy, Elayne, and Teri must make a fair division of a boat left to
them by their father using the Knaster inheritance procedure. The values
they bid on the boat are Nancy - $4200, Elayne - $3600, and Teri - $3000.
What are the results of the division?